Tea at Trianon: Meanwhile in Sweden...

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Meanwhile in Sweden...

From Angry Foreigner:

When it comes to lethal violence it has increased with 29% since 2014. What we can see is that since the 90’s there’s less violence towards children, especially within the family, and that accounts for half the decrease. But there’s an increase of lethal violence from criminals who seek retribution over beef. The number of crimes with illegal guns have increased and square-offs have moved out into the streets. It’s now more common that perpetrator and victim don’t know each other. In 9 years, gun violence has increased by 84%.

One example of this is the guy who, during a conflict with another criminal, fired a submachine gun in front of a school. Children were running away scared. This isn’t exactly the typical thing you’d see in Sweden 20 years ago.

Also, do note the following statistics from the correctional facility, during 1997-2009, page 28: 47% of prisoners serving long-time sentences were born in Sweden and still Swedish citizens. 13,1% came from a different country but became citizens, and the remainder aren’t Swedish citizens. In other words, 53% of prisoners serving long-time sentences have a foreign background. (Read more.)